Dunnage bag hanger apparatus and method

ABSTRACT

A dunnage bag hanger apparatus includes a dunnage bag hanger and a handle mounted applicator block operative to support and affix the dunnage bag hanger. The dunnage bag hanger is fabricated from three distinct and separate parts: a generally planar support substrate and two release papers covering adhesive patches or regions on the support substrate. The support substrate in one embodiment is a sheet that is further divided into two contact members separated by a resilient coupler. Each contact member preferably has a contact body, a hanging loop distal to the resilient coupler, and an adhesive coating. The two adhesive couplings are preferably on opposite sides of the support substrate sheet.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

The present application is a Divisional of U.S. patent application Ser.No. 14/534,164, granted as U.S. Pat. No. 9,193,293 on Nov. 24, 2015 andof like title and inventorship, and in turn claims the benefit under 35U.S.C. 119(e) of U.S. provisional patent application Ser. No. 61/900,396filed Nov. 5, 2013 of like title and inventorship, the entire contentsand teachings which are incorporated herein by reference.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention pertains generally to apparatus and methodsoperative to inhibit shifting of a load, and thereby assure theintegrity of freight loaded on board a carrier vehicle or containerwhile in transit. More particularly, the present invention pertains toan apparatus for rapidly, safely, and efficiently anchoring aninflatable load engaging member to either the load or the load carrier.

2. Description of the Related Art

Very diverse cargo, represented by all types of matter, size, andpurpose is being moved about us at a dizzying pace. The logistics ofthis production and transport is equally as complex and challenging, andhas led to the expenditure of billions of dollars developing andimplementing several important technologies. Among these arejust-in-time (JIT) delivery which can apply to both production andtransport; transportation vehicle tracking using Global PositioningSystem (GPS) locators, cellular tower triangulation, and other positiondetection apparatus; and even discrete device, package or containertracking and monitoring. In summary, enormous investment has been madein knowing exactly where a particular cargo shipment is physicallylocated during transport.

When effectively executed, these technologies can reduce the need forwarehouse space, reduce the likelihood of product spoilage orexpiration, and improve inventory turn-over, all which are veryimportant in controlling costs, improving reliability of delivery, andincreasing manufacturing flexibility. Nevertheless, and as may beapparent, these technologies also rely entirely upon the safe transportof the cargo. A perfectly timed delivery is useless, and can instead beextremely costly, if the cargo itself is damaged or destroyed duringtransit.

This diverse cargo may be loaded in equally as diverse carrier vehiclesor containers. A cargo area might, for exemplary purposes only and notsolely limiting thereto, be defined by a cargo container such as a railcar, an airplane cargo hold, a semi trailer, or an intermodal container,each which will be of different size and shape. When filling these cargocontainers, the cargo will rarely exactly fit within. In addition, thereare many times where the cargo may comprise large, irregular, andrelatively unprotected items, or be shipped in a cargo container whichmay also contain other diverse cargo. Whether due to an inexact fitbetween the cargo container and cargo, or as a result of irregularcargo, there will almost always be undesirable empty spaces within thecargo container. These empty spaces may in turn may lead to undesirableload shifting of the cargo within the cargo container during transport.Such load shifting, particularly when it occurs suddenly, may lead tosubstantial damage both to the cargo and to the cargo container.

The risk of harm or damage to the cargo is governed in part by the cargoitself, which can be either fragile or durable; in part by the spaces orvoids within the cargo container; and also in part by any additionalsurroundings or packing that may provide containment of the cargo. Inother words, if one object is free to move and collide with anotherobject within a cargo container, this collision certainly increases therisk of harm or damage. Alternatively, if an object is surrounded by asoft and cushioning divider, then the risk of harm or damage may besubstantially reduced.

Particularly where the cargo may comprise large and relativelyunprotected items, at least a minimal amount of isolation and protectioncan be highly beneficial. In such cases, a load divider is preferred, toisolate objects from each other. In addition, filling voids in a cargocontainer will also help to secure and stabilize cargo. For these andother applications, previous artisans have devised dunnage bags ofvarious sorts that are readily inflated and which can be used for one ormore of the aforementioned or other known applications. Dunnage bags areinflatable bags commonly used in the transportation industry to fillempty spaces within a cargo area. They literally provide an air cushionaround cargo, and can be inflated to fill up most any void within acargo container. In the event of a sudden force applied to the cargocontainer, such as a bump in the road or a rough handling of the cargocontainer, the dunnage bag will merely compress between adjacentobjects, increasing the pressure within the bag and absorbing the energythat would otherwise lead to damaged cargo.

Unfortunately, these dunnage bags are generally quite large and awkwardto handle, and even more difficult to place and hold during inflation.Once again, this is especially true where the spaces to be filled andthe dunnage bags placed within these spaces are both relatively large.Common cargo containers are commonly much taller than an ordinaryperson. For exemplary purposes, intermodal containers and semi-trailerswill typically range from 8 to 9.5 feet tall, and hicube boxcars havetypical internal heights approaching 13 feet. In order to reach theseheights and properly place the dunnage bags, workers will typicallyclimb on ladders and attempt to hold the bag and additionally hold aninflation source, all while guiding and placing the bag and whilemaintaining footing on the ladder. As can be appreciated, this approachis quite dangerous, particularly in cold or wet conditions, and requiresmany trips up and down the ladder to place the dunnage bags.Furthermore, the worker can only set the ladder on open flooring,meaning he may have to reach over or around the cargo, which can lead toslip and fall injuries. The worker may not even be able to reach intosmaller voids, leaving these unprotected. Depending upon how full thecargo container may be, there may not be any open flooring upon which toset the ladder.

Another issue arises with some taller cargo containers such as typicalrail cars. OSHA standards require a person who is 6 feet or more abovethe ground or floor to be tied off before conducting any tasks. Typicalrail cars are commonly approximately 13 feet in internal height. Thismeans that an ordinary person will in most cases need to climb above thesix foot OSHA threshold in order to be able to reach a hanging locationwithin the rail car. The challenge in the case of placing prior artdunnage bags is that there is no place for a worker to tie off to withinmost rail cars. This means that the worker is almost certainly inviolation of OSHA requirements, creating undesirable legal exposure.Even if there is a place to tie off, the time required to obtain andplace the ladder, climb the ladder, tie off, place the dunnage bag,release the safety tie, climb back down the ladder, and then store theladder is both substantial and an undesirable hindrance.

In the prior art, some artisans have designed hangers and slides orother mechanical apparatus which are semi-permanently or permanentlyattached. Exemplary U.S. patents, the teachings and contents which areincorporated herein by reference, include: U.S. Pat. No. 3,442,402 byBaxter, entitled “Dunnage service”; U.S. Pat. No. 6,253,806 by Sperry etal, entitled “Inflatable packing material and inflation system”; andU.S. Pat. No. 7,918,167 by Tanielian et al, entitled “Extremely rapidreversible barrier and formation method”. While solving some problems,these add substantial cost to the cargo container, limit the flexibilityof placement of dunnage bags, and restrict future use of the cargocontainer. As may be apparent, subdividing a container using dunnage bagcurtains or walls is beneficial, but certainly not as flexible in use orapplication as freely placed bags. Instead, the subdivided cargo spaceis still subject to the issues of the larger space, namely whether thecargo fits well into the subdivided space and whether there is irregularshaped cargo.

Several other artisans have designed dunnage bags that may be adhesivelyattached to either the cargo container or load. Exemplary U.S. patents,the teachings and contents which are incorporated herein by reference,include: U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,973 by Baxter, entitled “Dunnage bag withattachment means”; U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,801 by Keenan et al, entitled“Dual bladder airbag”; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,515 by Sansone et al,entitled “Dual bladder airbag”. To allow these bags to be placed first,and then inflated, adhesive patches or strips provided in these priorart bags are located adjacent to the top of the bag. This allows the bagto be hung limply in an uninflated state from the adhesive area, andthen the bag may be inflated to fill the space. Once the bag isinflated, it will typically be securely held in place due to surfacecontact and friction with surrounding objects and surfaces.

However, this means that the bags must be adhered at or near to the topof the cargo container. Once again, this means the worker will need toreach to near the top of the container, which may for exemplary purposesrange from 8 to 13 feet above the floor. This means that this adhesiveattachment still suffers from many of the limitations of the prior art,being time consuming and undesirably dangerous. As also noted above, theworker may not even be able to reach into smaller voids, leaving theseunprotected.

The teachings and contents of two additional patents are incorporated byreference: U.S. Pat. No. 3,890,188 by Sams, entitled “Label dispensingand applying apparatus”; and U.S. Pat. No. 8,485,580 by AckersteinKlein, entitled “Apparatus for protecting a child's head”. In additionto the aforementioned patents, Webster's New Universal UnabridgedDictionary, Second Edition copyright 1983, is incorporated herein byreference in entirety for the definitions of words and terms usedherein.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

In a first manifestation, the invention is, in combination, a dunnagebag, a dunnage bag hanger, and an application block. The dunnage bag hasan outer substantially air-tight envelope defining an interior volume,and a valve for selectively admitting and releasing gas from theinterior volume. The dunnage bag hanger has a support substrate, atleast one contact member, at least one hanging loop, and an affixingsurface affixed to the dunnage bag. The application block has a body,handle receiver affixed to the body, a dunnage bag hanger engagingmember affixed to the body and adaptive to operatively engage with andretain the at least one hanging loop, and an applicator pad defining atleast one surface of the application block body and adapted tooperatively engage with and resiliently apply pressure to the at leastone dunnage bag hanger contact member.

In a second manifestation, the invention is a dunnage bag hanger havinga support substrate, at least one contact member, at least one hangingloop, and an affixing surface.

In a third manifestation, the invention is a dunnage bag hangerapplication block having a body, a handle receiver affixed to the body,a hanging member affixed to the body and adapted to operatively engagewith and retain a dunnage bag hanger hanging loop, and an applicator paddefining at least one surface of the application block body and adaptedto operatively engage with and resiliently apply pressure to a dunnagebag hanger contact member.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

Exemplary embodiments of the present invention solve inadequacies of theprior art by providing a dunnage bag hanger and a pole or handle mountedapplication block. The dunnage bag hanger may be attached directly andquickly to cargo or cargo containers, and also to dunnage bags.

The present invention and the preferred and alternative embodiments havebeen developed with a number of objectives in mind. While not all ofthese objectives are found in every embodiment, these objectivesnevertheless provide a sense of the general intent and the many possiblebenefits that are available from embodiments of the present invention.

A first object of the invention is to provide a safe ground orfloor-level method of affixing a dunnage bag to cargo or a cargocontainer. A second object of the invention is to enable the dunnage bagattachment operation to be carried out quickly and efficiently. Anotherobject of the present invention is to provide an easily manufactured,compactly stored or carried about, and low cost dunnage bag hanger thatconsists of a minimum of parts. A further object of the invention is toenable the dunnage bag hanger to be both disposable and recyclable. Yetanother object of the present invention is to provide a dunnage baghanger that may be used in all climates reliably and effectively. Anadditional object of the invention is to allow the application block toeasily reach into tight spaces or to high elevations at a distance,quickly and efficiently, and without the need for ladders. A furtherobject of the invention is to provide nominal flexure and conformity inthe dunnage bag hanger and application block, permitting the inventionto work effectively even on irregular surfaces.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The foregoing and other objects, advantages, and novel features of thepresent invention can be understood and appreciated by reference to thefollowing detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunctionwith the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 illustrates a preferred embodiment dunnage bag hanger designed inaccord with the teachings of the present invention from top plan view.

FIG. 2 illustrates the preferred embodiment dunnage bag hanger of FIG. 1from a side sectional view taken along section line 2′.

FIGS. 3-5 illustrate a preferred embodiment application block fromprojected, top and side views, respectively.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment dunnage bag hanger from topplan view.

FIG. 7 illustrates a preferred embodiment dunnage bag hanger apparatusaffixed to a dunnage bag and including an alternative embodiment dunnagebag hanger and handle from top plan view.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

Manifested in the preferred embodiment dunnage bag hanger apparatus 10,the present invention provides a safe and rapid way to place dunnagebags within a cargo container. A preferred embodiment dunnage bag hanger20 that may be used as a part of preferred embodiment dunnage bag hangerapparatus 10 is illustrated for exemplary purposes in FIGS. 1 and 2.Dunnage bag hanger 20 is fabricated from three distinct and separateparts: support substrate 22 of generally laminar or sheet configuration;and two release papers 23, 24.

Most preferably, support substrate 22 is formed from a sheet of plasticor other resilient material which will offer sufficient structuralrigidity and strength to support the anticipated forces required tosupport a dunnage bag such as dunnage bag 80 illustrated in FIG. 7,while also allowing the smaller legs to flex and bend as required whilehanging a dunnage bag. In an exemplary embodiment, the invention may beformed from High Density PolyEthylene (HDPE), polypropylene, or othersimilar materials that offer excellent flexibility, good temperaturetolerance, and ready availability. Various fillers and additives mayalso be provided as is known in the field of materials science. Forexemplary purpose only, and not limiting the present invention solelythereto, fillers such as glass or other fibers may be added to increasestrength, crack resistance, and abrasion resistance. Likewise, variousadditives such as colorants, plasticizers, ultra-violet inhibitors andthe like may also be incorporated into the material as desired. Whileplastics or similar resilient materials are preferred, it will berecognized that there are a plethora of similar materials includingmetals, resins and plastics, technical ceramics or cementitiousmaterials, and even combinations, laminates or composites of the above.Most importantly, the material used will provide both flexibility andsufficient strength through the entire necessary temperature range tooperate and function successfully.

Support substrate 22 defines a pair of contact members 30, 31 that arespaced from each other by a resilient coupler 40. Each of the first andsecond contact members 30, 31, which may be of any suitable geometry,will preferably have an adhesive coating or layer 38, 39, respectively,applied upon major surfaces of support substrate 22. Preferably,adhesive coating 38 will be applied to contact body 32 upon a firstmajor surface of support substrate 22, while adhesive coating 39 will beapplied to contact body 33 upon a second major surface opposed to thefirst major surface. The adhesive coatings 38, 39 will preferably bedesigned to engage or affix to a cargo container, to cargo that might becarried within the container, or to a dunnage bag. Preferably, firstcontact member 30 with adhesive coating 38 may be affixed to one supportsurface, such as to the cargo or cargo container. A second contactmember 31 with adhesive coating 39 may then be affixed to the dunnagebag. As may be apparent, it does not matter which one of first contactmember 30 or second contact member 31 is affixed to the dunnage bag, butthe other one of first contact member 30 or second contact member 31will then be affixed to the cargo or cargo container.

While an adhesive coating is described, it will be understood that thismay take many forms, and that the function is to hold or bind supportsubstrate 22 to cargo, a cargo container, other suitable fixture, or adunnage bag. Consequently, adhesive coatings 38, 39 may alternatively beany affixing member, including but not limited to mechanical apparatussuch as hook-and-loop apparatus, magnetic materials such aspolymer-bound magnets, electrostatic apparatus, or chemical apparatussuch as two-part materials that fuse, react, vulcanize or otherwisechemically combine or change.

In a most preferred embodiment, adhesive coatings 38, 39 will further beoperative through as wide a range of temperatures as may be encountered.For rail cars, cargo containers, and semi trailers, this may range fromtemperatures well above 120 degrees Fahrenheit to temperatures belowminus twenty degrees Fahrenheit. The adhesive may be applied in a liquidform or may be applied as a film or double-sided tape, or may be formedthrough special chemistry directly within the support substratematerial, such as through incomplete vulcanization or the formation ofseparate layers within the support substrate.

A particularly preferred adhesive coating is formed from tape withsuitable adhesive that may further and optionally incorporatereinforcing fibers or strands, though as already described, theinvention is not solely limited thereto. In preferred embodiment dunnagebag hanger 20 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2, adhesive coatings 38, 39 arepreferably be covered by release paper 24, 23, respectively, or othersuitable coverings, or the adhesive coatings may otherwise be activatedin another way appropriate to installation such as through chemical orthermal activation. Where the adhesive is only appropriate for a singleuse, such as in the preferred embodiment dunnage bag hanger 20, thendunnage bag hanger 20 will only be used once and then disposed ofappropriately.

In preferred embodiment dunnage bag hanger 20 illustrated in FIGS. 1 and2, resilient coupler 40 has a pair of coupling legs 41, 42, each whichhave a first linear parallel segment 43, 44, respectively, and a secondlinear parallel segment 45, 46 respectively. The first and second linearparallel segments are separated by respective gentle arcuate sections47, 48. Coupling legs 41, 42 together define a central coupler opening49 having a first coupler opening extension 50 and a second coupleropening extension 51. The openings 49-51 together form a generallybutton-hole shaped opening between coupling legs 41, 42. While othershapes are also contemplated herein in alternative embodiments rangingfrom simple parallel legs or even a single linear leg, the pair of legswith the geometries as shown permit enormous flexibility in the legswith a desired amount of resilience, and without weakening or harmingthe support substrate material from which they are formed. Consequently,the geometry of resilient coupler 40 as illustrated is most preferred.

At distal ends of support substrate are hanging loops 34, 35 definingholes 36, 37 respectively. While in the preferred embodiment dunnage baghanger 20 these loops are formed integrally with support substrate 22,it will be understood that these may be separate components. Forexemplary and non-limiting purposes only, these might be formed byaffixing separate strands such as twisted or braided wire to supportsubstrate 22.

As described herein above, in use preferred embodiment dunnage baghanger 20 is applied by applying one of contact members 30, 31 coatingto the dunnage bag, and the other one of contact members 30, 31 to thecontainer, cargo or other suitable support. By using a slightlycompliant or flexible support substrate material, preferred embodimentdunnage bag hanger 20 may also be applied to non-flat surfaces such asthose that gently curve.

FIGS. 3-5 illustrate a preferred embodiment application block 60 thatfacilitates the hanging of preferred embodiment dunnage bag hanger 20.Application block 60 includes a body 62 which may be solid or hollow,and which may be fabricated from any suitable material such as but notlimited to wood, metal or plastic. A handle receiver 64 such as may beused to receive a threaded broomstick handle 70 or the like is providedto allow application block 60 to be coupled to a suitable prior arthandle, such as a broom stick, painting pole, extension arm, or othersuitable apparatus. Handle receiver 64 may be threaded, frictionallyfit, compressively fit, or otherwise locking as is known in themechanical arts, and may comprise a male coupling component, femalecoupling component, or any other type of suitable coupling. Variousswivel, locking and adjustable angle couplings may further be providedbetween handle 70 and application block 60 as desired. A pad 66 ofresilient material such as foam or, in the preferred embodiment, carpetforms a work face of application block 60. Pad 66 will preferably deformwhen pressed against a contact member to ensure even application offorces or pressures upon the contact member, again regardless of whethera mounting surface is even or not.

Most preferably, application block 60 will also have at least one and inthe preferred embodiment three hanging hooks 67-69 that are operativewith hanging loops 34, 35 of preferred embodiment dunnage bag hanger 20to allow a person to lift and hang dunnage bag hanger 20. While hanginghooks 67-69 and complimentary hanging loops 34, 35 are exemplary in thepreferred embodiment, it will be understood that any apparatus that alsoreasonably secure and temporary or selectively removable engagementbetween application block 60 and dunnage bag hanger 20 will beconsidered to be incorporated herein as an alternative embodiment. Forexample, and not solely limiting the present invention thereto, variousclips, suction devices, magnetic couplers and other apparatus may alsobe applied hereto.

For the following discussion, it will be presumed that contact member 30is being affixed to a cargo container, and all references will be tocomponents that form a part of contact member 30. However, it will beunderstood that the discussion is equally applicable to the equivalentcomponents of contact member 31 and that contact member 31 could insteadbe attached to a cargo container.

In a first step, a person will remove release paper 23 from contactmember 31, and a dunnage bag 80 illustrated in FIG. 7 may then beaffixed directly to adhesive 39. The geometry of the hanging hooks 67-69is not critical, and may take any suitable form. However, in the nextstep on of these hanging hooks 67-69 will preferably slide through hole36 and catch hanging loop 34, so that dunnage bag hanger 20 may belifted and moved about while both hanger 20 and the dunnage bag 80 aresuspended from one of hanging hooks 67-69. Most preferably, when dunnagebag hanger 20 is suspended from one of hanging hooks 67-69, thenon-adhesive major surface of contact member 30 will be immediatelyadjacent to pad 66. This exposes adhesive coating 38 when release paper24 is removed therefrom. Then application block 60 may be raised to adesirable attachment location, and pressure can be applied through thehandle, causing pad 66 to press against contact member 30. Once again,by using a material that is slightly flexible in the fabrication ofsupport substrate 22 and by using a slightly flexible or deformable pad66, the present invention will conform to minor irregularities in asurface and still securely affix thereto. As may be apparent then, aperson need only remove one release paper and attach dunnage bag 80,then slide the opposite contact member hanging loop onto handle 70,remove the second release paper, and finally affix dunnage bag hanger 20into the cargo or cargo container. The dunnage bag 80 may then beinflated through an inflation valve 82 or the like as is known in theart. This is all done at ground level, without the need to retrieve orclimb a ladder.

The provision of three hanging hooks 67, 68, 69, each perpendicular tothe adjacent hooks, allows application block 60 to be used to not onlyhang a dunnage bag hanger 20 using hanging hook 68 and holding a pole orhandle vertically, referenced here as in the 12 o'clock position. FIG. 7illustrates dunnage bag hanger 20 suspended from hanging hook 68, viewedfrom the pad 66 side of application block 60 but without a dunnage backsuspended therefrom. Dunnage bag hanger 20 may also be hung usinghanging hook 67 and holding a pole or handle horizontally and extendingto the operator's right, referenced here as in the 3 o'clock position,or to hang a dunnage bag hanger 20 using hanging hook 69 and holding apole or handle horizontally and extending to the operator's left,referenced here as in the 9 o'clock position. As may be apparent, atleast one hanging hook needs to be provided, but any number may beprovided so long as they do not interfere with one passing through ahanging loop 34, 35.

Various embodiments of dunnage bag hanger apparatus designed in accordwith the present invention have been illustrated in the various figures.The embodiments are distinguished by the hundreds digit, and variouscomponents within each embodiment designated by the ones and tensdigits. However, many of the components are alike or similar betweenembodiments, so numbering of the ones and tens digits have beenmaintained wherever possible, such that identical, like or similarfunctions may more readily be identified between the embodiments. If nototherwise expressed, those skilled in the art will readily recognize thesimilarities and understand that in many cases like numbered ones andtens digit components may be substituted from one embodiment to anotherin accord with the present teachings, except where such substitutionwould otherwise destroy operation of the embodiment. Consequently, thoseskilled in the art will readily determine the function and operation ofmany of the components illustrated herein without unnecessary additionaldescription.

FIG. 6 illustrates an alternative embodiment dunnage bag hanger 120which has many of the same features as those found in the preferredembodiment. However, rather than having two separate contact members 30,31 interconnected by resilient legs, a single contact member 130 hasadhesive coatings 138, 139 placed on the opposed major surfaces. Thishanger 120 is less preferred, since the dunnage bag must flex and moveto contact the cargo container surface, regardless of whether thealternative embodiment dunnage bag hanger 120 is applied first to thecargo container or first to the dunnage bag.

From the foregoing figures and description, several additional featuresand options become more apparent. First of all, as noted herein above,the preferred or alternative embodiment dunnage bag hangers andapplication block may be manufactured from a variety of materials. Thespecific material used may vary, though it is preferable that allmaterials are sufficiently tough and durable to not fracture, even whensignificant forces are applied thereto. Furthermore, where dunnage baghangers 20, 120 are disposable, it will be understood that the materialsmay be selected to enable recycling, such as but not limited to the useof HDPE and polypropylene described herein above.

While the foregoing details what is felt to be the preferred embodimentof the invention, no material limitations to the scope of the claimedinvention are intended. Further, features and design alternatives thatwould be obvious to one of ordinary skill in the art are considered tobe incorporated herein. The scope of the invention is set forth andparticularly described in the claims herein below.

We claim:
 1. A dunnage bag hanger comprising: a generally planar supportsubstrate sheet having two opposed major surfaces; at least two contactmembers within said generally planar support substrate sheet andflexibly coupled together through a resilient coupler; a first one ofsaid at least two contact members having a first contact body defined bya first one of said two opposed major surfaces; a first hanging loopsecurely affixed to said first one of said at least two contact membersand defining a first hole; an adhesive affixing surface within saidfirst one of said at least two contact members and defined by a secondone of said two opposed major surfaces; a first adhesive coatingdefining said adhesive affixing surface on said second one of said twoopposed major surfaces; a release sheet covering said adhesive affixingsurface; said resilient coupler further comprising at least two couplinglegs defining an opening there between passing entirely through saidgenerally planar support substrate sheet, and a second one of said atleast two contact members having a second contact body, a second hangingloop defining a second hole, and a second adhesive coating defining asecond affixing surface on said first one of said two opposed majorsurfaces.
 2. The dunnage bag hanger of claim 1, wherein each one of saidat least two coupling legs further comprises a pair of linear parallelsegments coupled to each other by an arcuate section.
 3. The dunnage baghanger of claim 2, wherein said arcuate sections of said at least twocoupling legs together define a generally round central coupler portionwithin said opening.